Muse
Jolin Tsai

Wishing For Happiness
Rainie Yang

Games We Play
Deserts Chang

Mandopop queen Jolin Tsai is seen wearing a number of sexy outfits in the elaborate music video for a song from her new album. That is no surprise, of course.
Less expected perhaps is the song itself: The Great Artist, a cover of an English tune, is easily the best thing on her new album. It’s sassy, spunky and dripping with attitude.
The Taiwanese singer even takes a stab at rapping on the hard-hitting dance track: “You hypnotise yourself/That he’s a great artist/You give him the colour palette/To mix a collage of betrayal/He is not van Gogh/Or Monet/But he has never lacked for models.”
Buried near the end of the record is another highlight. Penned by Tizzy Bac’s Chen Huei-ting, Someone chugs along with a perky beat paired with musings about love: “Some say I’m too proud when it comes to love/Some people just want someone.”
The rest of the record is not as inspiring, despite the title. It’s not for lack of trying as she works with the big hitters, including sodagreen’s Wu Ching-feng, Peggy Hsu, Tanya Chua and JJ Lin. Maybe that is why it does not feel like a cohesive record.
Still, there is more progress here compared to Rainie Yang’s latest record.
The Taiwanese singer got things right with the sophisticated adult pop of her last album Longing For. But she seems to have gone back to bland ballads and cutesy offerings here.
The title track does her no favours by painting her as the passive party: “I’m just someone wishing for happiness/Why can’t I meet a fate that puts down roots.”
The ballad Missing You turns things around somewhat by being just sweet enough. But despite a song on this album titled Possibilities, she does not seem to be exploring them fully.
With Deserts Chang, one could never accuse her of being anything but ambitious on her new disc.
The lyric booklet for the Taiwanese singer-songwriter’s fifth album opens with the enigmatic phrase: “Fate is the gods, the game, is us.” The record goes on to explore the idea of god and destiny in a musical tapestry woven from indie rock and folk influences.
She imagines on Lunatic’s Sunbath: “God cups you in his hands, this life shimmering gently; alas my life is on the ground.” And, admirably, her songs about relationships such as Significant Others veer away from cliches.
Sky Inside The Eyewall has a moment of pure sweetness and light when she coos “I used to have only you in my sights” and then one of calm epiphany when she croons “Maybe at dream’s exit, peace embraced emotion/Understood in an instant/You are leaving.”
Chang does not need to shout to make herself heard but her insistent whisper lingers on after the record has ended.
(ST)